Calamity Survivor

Dahlia finds herself nodding to his words as she leaves the store, hugging the box to her chest.

“It is a shame,” she repeats with conviction. “But if it protects what’s inside, then maybe it’s–”

She trails off, distracted by the crinkle of paper and the glint of something in the Kid’s hands. She can tell by the way he holds it that it is something special, even if she doesn’t recognize the gem. Potential and promise, perhaps; hidden beneath raw, uncut layers. Privately, Dahlia wonders what the Kid would ever use it for. Precious stones don’t seem to fit his usual style…

The bag he’s tossed away is carried off by the wind, and her eyes follow its progress down the street. It bounces for a block before being caught by a small child, who brings the new toy to his pet kitten with a joyful shriek.

One man’s trash is another’s treasure, huh? Dahlia smiles in spite of herself, but whips her head back at his next question.

“Lunch…?”

“I didn’t–I mean, I–”

(I didn’t expect you to ask me.)

“…”

“…of course.”

Kid used to carry all kinds of things. Pieces of Caelondia, of the Old World. But nowadays...

Lunch. She’s stuttered a bit, but that don’t bother the Kid any. He knows the feeling. And anyways, he’s got to think of a place to eat, and fast. He don’t know too many, and where do you even take a girl out to eat, anyways?

 Wait, does that make this a date? Is he on a date now? Kid’s never been on a date. Is he? Feels strange. And it feels the same as anything else, too. Maybe it only feel strange because he expects it to. Maybe it -

How about pizza? 

Classy, Kid. Worked for you real well last time, too.

Edis’s eyes were adjusting to the world around her. It was the Nightmare Realm all over again, people fighting, the strong destroying the weak. It was no difference from what her kin would expect. But nothing prepared her for what was to come.

Making her way through the second sector she merely began to watch the chaos coming from and that is when she met the ‘child’. Moving toward the being she would speak in a soft tone:

“Are you alright? Do you need a sanctuary?”

She could not help it, she was worried about the little one, for her she just needed to protect as much lives as possible. The beauty of her sanctuary was it was unknown, no one really wanted to destroy a burlesque, but they had to leave to Sector 3 soon. She smiled to him more as she spoke again to him:

His time on the Wall hadn’t been that inherently demeaning. 

On the other hand, once he took a second to think about it... he could follow her, then when he got a chance, bring down whatever ‘sanctuary’ she thought she was leading him to. That should deal a crippling blow to this City. Or, at the very least, a moderate blow to this part of it.

Which meant people would be killed. Some of whom would be innocent. Most of them likely injured, or trying to help the injured. But it’d help his side of the war, wouldn’t it?

He didn’t want to... but he’d have to.

Too bad he doesn’t have the rest of his Arsenal. Not anymore.

Sadly, it was just the three of them, and that would have to do. For now.

Unless they sat to the side, waited until the Kid and Will went to the next car, and then kept going further down the train.

The Kid rubs his forehead. There’s just no way to track the guy down. Only way to spot ‘em is if they get lucky enough to spot a knife, or somethin’.

“… Is there nothing back for you where you’re from that you’d wouldn’t care if you stayed here? Is there nothing at all?”

How could Shalem know what there could be? For all he could know, everything could be even worse, and this in comparison was better. But even still, to be held against your will? It wasn’t exactly a favorable situation either way.

And now it’s just the three of them.

If this place was safer, the Kid would wan ‘em around. But it ain’t. It’s about as dangerous out here as the Wilds ever were, and this ain’t the place for them. maybe they’d come here, maybe they’d be safe. But the Kid don’t want to risk it.

She cleared her throat dramatically and jogged far enough so that she could face him and walk backwards. “Since ya agreed with my taste in frozen treats, I got a real treat ta share.”

Can’t say he’s ever exactly been good at figuring them out, either. Hell, he barely even knew what pizza was. Only knew about it cause of that time will Will. Mushrooms, at least, they had in Caelondia. But he can’t say he can make a guess worthwhile.

Once they made it to and looked into the next compartment, Kid spoke up upon finding no one there. “…you think they’re being held hostage somewhere, or have fled the train?” he asked, hoping to clarify the others words a bit. If they fled the train, it would only make sense that they would be off of it. If they were in the back, then they could either be hiding, or be held captive.

If the guy’s off the train, he could be anywhere by now. Every second they stay here, they’re gettin’ further away. Could be off in any direction, on a crowded street. Almost on hope of ever finding the guy (or gal).

On the other hand, if they’re on the train, they must have another plan. Otherwise, why stay on?

“Right back at'cha, fella,” he’d offered his neck thing before, so there was no reason to get all pouty over his lack of appreciation for theatrics. “Wait, Kid? You’re tellin’ me that you just go by Kid?” Harley really didn’t mean to laugh, but how could she not? “Wow, your childhood must ‘a sucked!” She continued to snicker as she followed him.

The Kid’s the name he got on the Wall, first as an insult, then as respect.

Kid the Mime? Now, there’s a thought. A bad one. Kid might not talk a lot, but come on. He’s not that bad, is he? Not like it really matters. He’s not gonna go around mimin’ things. Gotta admit, though, it sounds kinda... unique. Still not happening.

So the Kid checks the next compartment first, but it’s the front of the train, the control room. It’s just as empty as the last compartment. That ain’t good, either. There’s seats for two people to be here, keeping the train going, and neither of ‘em’s here. Could be that the train runs itself, with the Scientists. No way to know for sure.

Two bottles fell off a wall in a makeshift shooting gallery in a dingy alleyway of Hive. ‘Gallery’ was almost an overstatement. It was a bunch of cans and bottles lined up on a half-broken wall and a spare poster with the unfortunate model on it pin-cushioned by thrown steak knives like a dartboard. Real ‘fun at the fair’ material.

Taskmaster jiggled a few pebbles in his hand and fired off a few more between his thumb and forefinger. Once again they hit dead in the middle of the cans with enough force to knock them right off the wall. Two cans. Three. Now a bottle.

Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.

Still got it. 

As he was basking in his own glory the merc noticed someone has slipped into his little training ground. huh, could lead to something. He scooped up some more rocks and walked over to the newcomer, leaning in as his mask’s grin bared all in a mimic of his own smug sense of showmanship.

So he’s been wanderin’ round all over the place, when he hears some strange sounds in an alley. Can’t pin it down, so he goes to check it out. Probably nothin’, he figures, and he’s right. Some wannabe big, scary guy, and all he’s doin’ is chucking some pebbles at some cans.

Must be even more bored than the Kid is. 

Bored enough to offer a challenge to some stranger. Kid thinks about it for a few moments. Never been all that much of a thrower - not until he learned how to handle the macete and the pike right. Then he learned real quick. Now, a pebble, that’s tricky. Too small to have any balance, and you can’t throw it the same.

Seems to the Kid like a waste of time. But then, if there’s one thing he’s learned (and he’s learned a lot), ya never know what might save your life.

Ain’t much for him back there. Just his only three friends. He misses them, all right. Wants to be with ‘em. But he don’t want them here. This ain’t the place for anybody, let alone a bunch of people who can’t fight.

He don’t want to go home, cause there ain’t one. And he don’t want his friends here, cause they wouldn’t last long.

Natu, sensing his master, flew away from Kid and over to Will, settling atop his head. He let out a small chirp, both in greeting and to alert the other of Will’s arrival.

Nothing except what he had to do. Gotta find the guy.

Don’t really matter, Kid realizes. She can call herself a criminal. Doesn’t make her one. She can say what she wants. So until she commits some crime, there’s nothin’ he can do. Nothing he should do.

And what would he do? Whack some poor lady on the head, and... what? he don’t know where the jails are.

Nice to meet ya. He just shrugs. Feels a little uncomfortable. It’s not a new feelin’. He introduces himself as the Kid.